Power Pizzelle

I'd like to start this post by talking about waffles. I do enjoy a good waffle, don't you? I recently took part in the NJ Gran Fondo - a 63 mile bike "tour" with timed hill climbs. It was awesome. And one of the best things about this race were the rest stops. See, bike tours have rest stops. These are designated areas where cyclists can refill on their calories and hydration, visit the port-a-loo, and mill about.

The NJ Gran Fondo had some excellently catered rest stops. They featured waffles. Two different kinds of waffles, in fact. When my fellow riders and I figured this out, we began making up excuses to stop at all the rest areas.

"I have a flat."

"I have to pee."

"I need...um...water."

And finally, "Oh let's just pull over, I want a waffle."

Finally, we decided that it wasn't about who crossed the finish line first, but who crossed the finish line with the most waffles.

So we began shoving them into the pockets of our biking jerseys, and stuffing them into our bento boxes. It was quite obscene. Especially since there was a hot dog and hamburger bbq at the finish line.

But we wanted waffles, so waffles we had! And how.

How many?

I really have no idea. I brought some home. And this got me to thinking....about making my own. Now, I can easily do this, but I wanted to make something more streamlined...more AERODYNAMIC. I mean, we ARE cyclists.

I thought of the Belgian stroopwafel, which is essentially a sweetened, smashed waffle that looks like a cookie – the brand Honey Stinger even makes one specifically for athletes.

But I wanted something....Italian. And then it came to me: THE PIZZELLE! Pizzelle are traditional Italian cookies that look exactly like stroopwafels. Pizzelle are not overly sweet, but are more similar to a waffle cone.

I've made traditional pizzelle before. My family makes them every year at Christmas time. But I wanted to make a POWER Pizzelle. Something to get me up the hills of numerous Gran Fondos. And back down again.

So I tinkered with the ingredients. And made them better. I even made them gluten-free. Imagine that.

These Power Pizzelle are small and can be easily tucked into cycling jerseys or bento boxes. They're crisp, but also thick, so they don't fall apart or crumble when you bite into them or break off pieces.

What follows is a recipe for a pizzelle that's packed with good energy. Perfect for cycling, or a quick bite between multiple workouts. Here's how to do it:

Now add in the flours, 1/2 cup at a time. If you would like to use more or less of a certain flour, that's fine, just make sure that you total 2 cups of flour. Mix until a dough forms.

Your dough should be slightly sticky, but you should be easily able to roll it into small balls without it sticking to your fingers. If the dough is too moist, add more flour, 1/8 of a cup at a time.

Heat up your pizzelle iron and form the dough into small balls, slightly smaller than golf ball sized. You can play with what size suits you best (based on what size your pockets are!).

Press the dough balls into the forms on the interior of the iron, like you're making waffles. The iron will beep when your cookies are finished (they take about a minute to cook). Remove them carefully (I like to use a spatula) and place them flat on a plate to cool.

Store in plastic bags for weeks. Seriously.

Incidentally, I placed 1st overall female for the 63 mile ride. I credit the waffles completely.